Bio-climatic façade design is a raging trend internationally that caters to the seasons of the local area controlling the summer sun, winter chills while also making the interiors and exteriors thermally and visually well performing, says Ar. Patel. Stainless steel has been yet another material choice in the case of bioclimatic projects globally, given their durability and low maintenance costs.

1. Facades of The Future: Materials & Technologies
Revolutionising the New-Generation Façades
No doubt, façades are the most important building element from both the users and the
architect’s point of view. They are the most difficult to design too since the perception of iconic
and technologically advanced facades is changing frequently. Designers are researching and
experimenting with new and complex façade forms and patterns. The glass aluminium facades
are bygones now as we see a lot more new materials in the market such as rusted iron panels,
zinc, copper and steel, even high pressure laminates.
Along with the materials that furnishes the look and feel of a building, technologies applied to
facades are also changing. The leading-edge technologies play a crucial role in terms of
sustainability and operational cost-effectiveness. Truly successful facades do far more than
merely projecting an iconic image, they play a vital role in driving or transforming building
performance, engaging with the external environment, significantly enhancing durability and
reducing energy consumption.
But how smart can a facade truly be? To what extent are technological developments
transforming the facade performance? And do we have the tools and metrics in place to truly
gauge and build these smart facades? This edition’s cover story throws light into all these
aspects which would help building flawless ‘future facades’.
Façade in Perspective – Experts Envisage
Ar Vivek Gupta PrincipalArchitect, Arvind Vivek & Associates
In architecture and construction, nothing summarises the dual qualities of performance and
appearance like the building façades. In alignment with these two key components of building,
notes Ar. Vivek Gupta, Principal Architect, Arvind Vivek & Associates, a façade must
contribute positively to its performance while still ensuring an aesthetically-pleasing form.
Innovations in façade technology and building solutions are potential advancements in the green
building movement, contributing to the creation of greener, healthier places for people.

2. Ar. Yatin Patel, Founder Principal Designer, DSP Design Associates
Ar. Yatin Patel, Founder & Principal Designer, DSP Design Associates too agrees with Ar.
Gupta on the need for innovations in façade materials and technologies. “We can anticipate
research to be aggressive, innovating on façade that responds to macro public elements as well
– for example, transport/logistics,” says Patel.
Ar. Zubin Zainuddin, Principal Architect, ZZ Architects
Ar. Krupa Zubin, Principal Architect, ZZ Architects
Ar. Zubin Zainuddin and Ar. Krupa Zubin, Principal Architects, ZZ Architects points out that
façades have to be more than just elevations skins on buildings. A lot of research is being done
on harnessing the surface area of the façade to help in generating energy. The façade also has
to ensure that the optimal lighting and
comfort is sealed within the building premise, considering the imperative role played by building
façades in reducing building’s energy consumption, improving natural lighting and offering better
airflow within the building.
Ar. Ash A. Parekh, Principal Architect, The Opus D’Sign Studio
Thrusting on the need for “Out of the Box” research and experimentation, Ash A. Parekh,
Principal Architect, The Opus D’Sign Studio is hopeful that façades reacting to dynamic
weather conditions and those using sustainable building materials will gain momentum. He is
sure that architect’s aesthetic vision and “excitement factor” as well as the everchanging
customer requirement will drive the development of a “technoholistic” design. Initially, façades

3. were formulated using two distinct strategies, namely technology and market (or customer
driven).
Ar.Karl Wadia, Senior Associate, Architect Hafeez Contractor
Ar. Karl Wadia, Senior Associate, Architect Hafeez Contractor has no doubt that the façades
of the future are going to react to the climatic condition around them – façade that will change
during the day and night; façade that will let the natural air in the early hours of the morning and
close themselves down by late morning; façade which will protect the building from the sharp
westerly sun and then open up towards the evening to bring in more light and natural air, are
futuristic.
Ar. Vivek Bhole, Principal architect, Architect Hafeez Contractor
Ar. Vivek Bhole, Principal architect, Vivek Bhole Architects Pvt. Ltd says that in the past,
the façade methodology remained complimentary to the structural systems along with other
factors like climate and aesthetical preferences. With the inception of framed structures, precast
and prefabricated façades are going to define the future façades.
Ar. Gupta too agrees with Ar. Bhole and is sure that prefabrication and modularisation strategies
are being adopted as mainstream construction practices, which will ultimately bring great change
to the building design. Along with it, robotics, digital printing, augmented virtual reality, artificial
intelligence and other advanced digital processes will shape the future of construction and the
building skin, adds Gupta.
Piyush Srivastava,National Facade Manager, Schueco India Private
Limited
According to Piyush Srivastava, National Façade Manager, Schueco India Private Limited,
the future of façade includes an increase in opacity and energy efficiency, and widely accepted
aluminium system’s façade product rather than a bespoke system which decide the future
construction. Also, new materials are flooding the marketplace at an exponential rate. However,
incorporating these materials into existing systems often pose a unique set of issues:
performance, tolerance, compatibility, warranty and waterproofing.

4. Ar. Dhurghai Kumaran, Director – Studio FHD Group, Hyderabad
Building façades of the future will develop in two different
trajectories.
 Human centric: Façades could begin to mimic human skin in its property to breathe, allow
necessary daylight, and take sustainability to an all new level. Sustainability will hold the key to
future façades.
 Technology driven: Façades could become digital platforms for presenting identity. It opens
façades as a dynamic element rather than static cover. We are already seeing LCD screens
becoming façades in commercial buildings.(Dhurghai Kumaran, Director – Studio, FHD
Group, Hyderabad)
Farid Khan, Director and CEO, profine India Window Technology
Pvt. Ltd.
“The uPVC Windows’ Growth Would be from 20 to 25 % in the Coming Years”
India is experiencing construction boom in terms of the growing economy and it is accelerating
the growth of window & façade industry. Today, the windows & doors segment is standing
approximately at 2 billion Euros which makes it a good sizable market. With mass and low cost
housings coming into the picture, the windows from good players at affordable prices with
descent quality will have demand in the market. I believe that the windows & facades industry is
going to grow manifolds.
India has best international claimed architects and they can replicate the best façade around the
world in Indian buildings. Now in India, a lot of new materials are coming in the construction
market. Performance windows are the trend and the best available option for such windows are
uPVC as well as the aluminium windows. The glass is evolving day by day and it will play a very
important part in the facade systems in the coming years.
I see a lot of changes happening in the window industry like double glazing. With increased
urbanisation and purchasing power of the population, people will go for the quality materials. I
foresee that the uPVC windows’ growth would be from 20 to 25 per cent in coming 3-4 years.
The aluminium windows would transform from non-thermal to thermal and the growth rate will be
same as that of uPVC windows (20-25 per cent).
(Farid Khan, Director and CEO, profine India Window Technology Pvt. Ltd.)
It is imperative that, in the future, buildings will become smarter, façades will become more
complex, dynamic, and interactive, making the building/user interface far more intimate and
individualized, predicts Gupta. While it can be challenging even to get users to adjust blinds in
response to changing exterior lighting conditions, emerging automated technologies Accel House
at Thane, designed by ZZ Hospital at Amanora Park Town by The Opus D’Sign

5. Studio Architects will tune basic workspace conditions to each user, Gupta is optimistic. At the
same time, users will be able to interact with individual workspace conditions very similar to how
they engage with their smart devices, through graphic, motion and voice which will be integrated
into those very devices.
We have seen passive and active façades in contemporary architecture. Parekh believes that we
will see an emergence and acceleration in the use of cognitive or intellectual building façades.
The intellectual façade will respond to internal and external conditions, seamlessly coordinating
with the building’s MEP systems to create a network of cognitive solutions. Variables such as
non-predictive weather conditions and micro-climate influences by adjacent structures will create
a “pro-active” building skin.
Bio-climatic façade design is a raging trend internationally that caters to the seasons of the local
area controlling the summer sun, winter chills while also making the interiors and exteriors
thermally and visually well performing, says Ar. Patel. Stainless steel has been yet another
material choice in the case of bioclimatic projects globally, given their durability and low
maintenance costs.
Besides technology, materials like glass, concrete etc., used for the building skin are an integral
yet singular aspect of the façade design, points out Gupta. Durable, malleable and scalable
materials like copper, concrete, etc., are the choice for architects who innovate in designing
functional cladding.

6. Earth’s climate, health and safety, lifestyle and rapid urbanisation will result into super tall and
smart buildings. The buildings will have complex but efficient structural systems like diagrids,
exo-skeleton, space trusses etc. and façades would follow the process, says Ar. Bhole. In the
next few decades, we will witness multiple options and experiments in automated or
electronically controlled dynamic façades with dynamic property changing glass for improved
energy efficiency, indoor comfort and overall environmental quality, he adds.
Key Characters of High PerformanceFaçades
A high performance façade is a façade that not just envelopes your building, but works with your
building to give you optimum daylight, comfort, no glare and reduction of heat gain, explains Ar.
Karl Wadia. An optimum high performance façade is always going to be one that shields you
from the external harsh atmosphere, while at the same time not demanding you to turn on many
high levels of air conditioning.
High performance façades effectively ensure a better working environment and can add
immense value to the end user, adds Ar. Zainuddin and Ar.Bhole. It gives flexibility not only in
design and design expression along with execution of façades in factory and on site but also
facilitates cleaning, maintenance and replacements subsequently. Ar. Krupa Zubin gives an
example – double skin façade buildings were first built during the first energy crisis as an attempt
to improve building performance. The recent resurgence of efficient building design has renewed
interest in this concept, she observes. Since the Green Building Council offered reward points for
reduction in energy consumption, this strategy has been used to optimise energy performance of
buildings.
Ar. Yatin Patel and Ar. Parekh agrees that façade systems should address the management of
glare and light, solar gains, acoustical considerations, ventilation, energy harvesting and more.
Integration between the façade as a building skin being elevated to other building systems adds
to the intelligence in building management technology. Façades that integrate electrical and
plumbing services through closed-cavity systems or automated shading devices driven by
sensory controls for electric and mechanical applications efficaciously widen the performance
spectrum for building skin. also needs to comply with a host of industry concerns, namely, capex
cost, maintenance and constructability. It is critical that all the building skin components work
seamlessly together to create a technically coherent solution, giving the designer a unique
opportunity to display their concept, form, functionality and technological prowess.
Kumaran too opines that in Indian market, low cost solutions in high performance façades will be
a key criteria. High performance, in terms of energy efficiency and sustainability, will be the key
driver in façade technology. He agrees that in additional to modularity in façade technology, ease
of production, installation and maintenance are essential characteristics of a high performance
façade. In terms of key façade performance, it should be pre-tested and certified, especially
against structural, air permeability, water tightness, and thermal, acoustic, seismic if required,
adds Srivastava.
According to Ar. Gupta, passive design strategies possess fundamental advantages to develop
low-energy buildings.
Two major types of façades exist: curtain walls and double façades. Both can contribute to a
more optimal thermal comfort, says Gupta. The rising trend, however, is adaptive façades – an
envelope that uses flexibility to actively regulate the indoor conditions and helps in increasing the
energy efficiency of a building. Extrinsic control of these adaptive systems possesses the quality
to combine (central) automated strategies with local control and individual user needs. Adaptive
systems are most suited for the moderate climate zone, as a consequence of the seasonal
variation between the need for heating and the protection against
overheating.
Advancement in Façade Technology and Materials
Façade methodology has always remained complimentary to the structural systems along with
other factors like climate and aesthetical preferences. With the inception of framed structures,

7. precast and prefabricated façades came into the picture. The same factors are going to define
the future façades, says Ar. Bhole. The material choice and the combination would derive
creative character of the façades – Steel, aluminium, zinc, tile, stone, extruded resin, ETFE and
so on, the list is endless.
Ar. Wadia and Ar. Parekh observes that aluminium and glass façade concept is now changing
and a lot of ceramic, cotton steel, stone, thin stone cladding and other new materials are being
used on façades. The material palate is available is so wide, adds Wadia – from high pressure
laminate to solid aluminium core; there is aluminium foil on which one can paste just 2-3mm
stone instead of using 20- 25 or 40-45mm stone depending upon what kind of stone it is. “We are
using less stone, putting less weight on the building. With these recent R&D in façade
technology, a lot of this material originally started off in aeronautics and in vehicle manufacturing
and now they are making their way into façade engineering”, says Wadia. Today one can get
more and more robust hardware from the best companies all over Europe, China and India that
can take additional weight to get various types of window systems that are automatically or
manually operated.
Kinetic façades are dynamic and ever-changing, rather than static. Building skin elements can be
programmed to respond to climatic factors, impacting energy efficiency or solar heat, or for
aesthetic reasons, such as an art installation, says Ar. Parekh. The Al Bahr Towers in Abu Dhabi
uses a computer-controlled façade made of umbrella-like panels which open and close in
response to the sun’s the wind movement to achieve optimal shading and light.
Choosing the Right Façade Material
While there are many factors which require consideration in building façade, one of the most
daunting one is – Choosing the right material. Also, the decision on the right façade material
needs to be made after considering a range of factors like:
 Water-resistant
 Energy efficiency
 Aesthetics and texture
 Eco-friendly
 Durability
 Cost
(Ar. Zubin Zainuddin and Ar. Krupa Zubin, Principal Architects,
ZZ Architects)
FACID, the FlexibleFaçade from Schüco
With FACID, the flexible façade from Schüco, the external appearance of a building can be
quickly and efficiently adapted to changing requirements without limiting its function – a key
milestone on the path towards the transformative façade. Be it for a suspended, rear-ventilated
façade, integrated, active screening and sun shading, an additional decorative level
or a combined façade, the FACID textile façade offers a wide range of design options by means
of digital printing and three dimensional malleability. A wide variety of fabrics are available
depending on the application and building type. Further benefits of the new façade solution
include its durability, reliability and multi-functionality in applications.

8. Kumaran too agrees that there has been tremendous growth in technology over the last two
decades and interactive façades, green façades, dynamic façades are a reality today. But
availability, affordability and constructability need to improve to make them usable across product
typologies.
Energy Harvesting Façades
The next gen façades should be able to generate and even store renewable energy. According
to Ar. Zainuddin, energy harvesting façades would be the ideal solution, where façades should
help the building to generate sufficient energy. This could ensure that the buildings of the future
can stay off the pier grid and can truly be self sustainable. However, these are still too expensive
to be considered for projects in India in their current formats. We need to encourage better
planning and design principles based on the natural resources and orientating the building as per
ideal directions, he notes.
Advanced embedded photovoltaic cells, micro wind mills and heat filter membranes in façades
will take care of more than 50 per cent of the energy needs of the buildings, predicts Ar.
Bhole. He quotes an example: the light dam panels on façades would be used with two-way fibre
optic cables to illuminate the dark interior of the buildings in the day time and illuminating the
façade in the night with reverse flow of light thus resulting in lot of saving.
Ar. Parekh defines energy harvesting as the process of collecting ambient energy from sources
such as heat, wind, etc., which are typically wasted, and convert them into electric energy. This
process is also known as power scavenging or energy scavenging. The use of Double Skin
Adaptive Façades
The conventional envelope is based on static designs that do not possess the flexibility to adapt
and react to changing conditions. However, both the building’s environment and the occupants’
wishes are changing over time. This reason for advancement in adaptive façades. The building
envelope is no longer seen as just a shield, but as a surface that can control efficiently the
energy balances. Adaptive façades add the fourth dimension of time – by implementing dynamic
features in copper. Dynamic copper façades enable modern buildings to interact with their
environment, and can limit the use of artificial lighting and heating, regulate aeration, light or
transparency, and create unprecedented visual effects.
Ar. Vivek Gupta, Principal Architect, Arvind Vivek &
Associates

9. Façade (DSF) is increasingly being used as a means to harvest wind energy, notes Parekh. The
system employs a series of small-scale wind turbines strategically located within the Cavity Wall
to capture wind energy and use it towards the built environment.
Ar. Patel and Ar. Gupta observes that photovoltaic façades have the potential to generate clean
energy to full capacity, which is also CO2 emission free and plentiful. While photovoltaic
installations for energy generation over roof tops of buildings are limited, building façades that
occupy large vertical surfaces of the structure can produce more energy, making building self-
sustained to energy requirements.
In any standard G+4 Architectural Built form, the area of the façades is almost four times the
area of the roof. If the whole available area of such building was used for solar panels, the total
annual electricity harvested would be three times that of the roof, observes Ar. Gupta.
Furthermore, the use of Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) proposes interesting
opportunities by replacing conventional building materials while creating a harmonious
architecture by blending into building design. The overall use of such façades not only brings us
closer to design a net zero building, but reduce the commercial pressure off the investors,
explains Ar. Gupta.
Roleof CAD, Software Technologies & AI in Designing &
Building Futuristic Façades
Computers and software’s are helping us design more and more interesting façades that we
couldn’t do in the past – such as parametric façades. “I am fond of using computer aided
technology which helps us design intelligent façade that react to the external climatic conditions,”
says Ar. Karl Wadia. Ar. Krupa Zubin too agrees with the increased use of CAD for all aspects
of building design, mainly structural and efficient environmental planning. “The façades can also
be optimised by running various programs on the building models. This helps in generation of the
most cost effective and energy efficient solution for projects,” she says.
Solar-PoweredFaçades
Solar energy farms typically need large open land, while photovoltaic panels placed on the
building roofs are rarely able to generate energy to meet full demand. A unique design
opportunity has been initiated at the Hanwa Tower in the middle of Seoul. The renovation will be
one of the world’s largest solar-powered façades — cladding the entire tower in photovoltaic cells
and an illuminated LED system that will become an eye catching animated display at night. The
buildings will receive a new system of windows and shading to increase natural daylight inside
the building and reduce energy costs. The LEDs will flash through scenes found in nature to
emphasize its environmental friendliness
The recent progress in computation technology and the availability of diverse software, plug-ins
and coding platforms have provided the tools to identify problems and develop unique design
solutions, points out Ar. Parekh. Emerging technologies using complex algorithms and AI will
assist designers to understand complex design challenges so as to offer comprehensive
distinctive resolutions.
“We use plugins like honeybee in Rhino to interact with software like Daysim and Radiance to
calculate the light, glare and artificial lighting requirements, and Energy Plus to calculate the
solar heat gain. The interactive simulation, right from the form finding methods to shop drawings
through the parametric software, give flexibility to the extent that you can imagine, evaluate,
rationalise and execute innovative designs with high performance façades”, notes Ar. Bhole.
The computational software generates parametric façades, including designing and execution
drawings for CNC machines. The software like Generative Component in Ecosim, Dynamo in
Revit and Grasshopper in Rhino are powerful tools to achieve unimaginable forms, he adds.
Ar. Bhole uses Geometry Gym and Interface Plugin for Archicad in Rhino to connect
computational parametric software with BIM (building information modelling). “We are going to
witness the use of this technology going multiple folds in the near future,” says Ar.

10. Bhole. Kumaran too agrees that softwares like Rhino and Grasshopper enable more complex
form development, and detailed research and analysis. Parametric software can enable
designing complex forms and solutions at rapid speed, based on defined parameters such as
climatic needs, shading requirements, solar radiations, wind resistance and more.
According to Ar. Parekh, CAD was a way of automating existing methods of production for
speed and precision. Consequently, tools provided manoeuvrability. The “craft” of CAD will assist
with complex site issues related to traffic flow, micro-climatic concerns, seismic abnormalities
and resultant impact on façade behavioural patterns and will take building design towards a new
dimension. These software tools will be vital for evaluating material deflection, building
massing/form and sway of shade and light. Software technologies will offer designers the
opportunities to monitor site changes, conflicts with building services and allow integration with
IBMS (Intelligent Building Management Systems). Technology will allow us to envision ‘futuristic
kinetic façades’ using multi-faceted forms using diverse materials, textures, colours, etc. using
real time weather information, adds Parekh.
Ar. Patel believes that investing in technologies like BIM allows designers distil options down to
a set of criteria that meet the aesthetic ambitions of the project and its tactical requirements,
ensuring that these are met with optimised environmental parameters. These tools also enable
designers to explore the forms, real-time and derive key insights into the thermal, daylight and
solar performance informing decisions pertaining to the building orientation, solar shading,
glazing etc and also saves the cost. According to Ar. Patel, a strong basis to drive AI can be
marked with the data fed by BIM applications. Not only façades but from materials to
architectural/mechanical elements to every fitting, including the smallest screw- the data is saved
and computed to inform anticipated design/construction glitches for seamlessness.
Architecture is dominated by software, from pre-concept to construction. This is doubly so with
sustainability – only with the advent of whole building simulation and BIM, could energy
modelling, computational fluid dynamics, and daylight analysis be rigorously forecasted, says Ar.
Gupta. These predictive simulations provide the necessary data to determine everything from
indoor comfort to energy cost savings to potential glare on computer screens. The emerging
technology uses algorithms to generate every possible permutation of a design solution. The
designer simply enters a set of parameters and then chooses the best outcome generated by the
software. AI promises to save time in the design process, save material by creating the most
efficient structures and save money by working out the most cost-effective way to manufacture
them.
Advancement in Automation in Façades & Fenestration
The automation in façades can be primarily categorised into three sections – lighting, sun
shading and fire safety, explains Ar. Bhole. The entire façade lighting scheme can be controlled

11. through a single automation controller to give imagery on the façade or highlight key elements of
the façades. With new fixtures, it is possible to create multiple lighting schemes with minimum
light pollution. Ar. Zainuddin too agrees to this. Through automation systems, one can control
the heat gain, thus saving on the cooling load considerably. The National Building Code requires
certain percentage of the façade area openable for various user types of the buildings. Most of
the times, this becomes a hurdle in the design flexibility. Automation can remove this constraint
by adding openable windows and fresh air. All these systems can get activated along with the fire
alarm connected with fire and smoke detection systems.
According to Ar. Wadia automation can be used in two ways: one is for extremely high rise
building where you have large size of windows and very often these windows are difficult to
manually operate because of the sheer weight. The other area that we used automated façade
are for access by fire department in the building, you can program certain aspect of the façade to
work with BMS.
Ar. Parekh too observes that designers have become increasingly reliant on technology as a
means to create “smart homes”. Computerised HVAC systems, home security, lighting systems
and virtual assistants using artificial intelligence, all controllable through a centralised hub.
Automation continues to play a larger role to advocate cost efficiencies; to monitor automated
glass tinting for responsiveness to dynamic climatic conditions, blind automation for privacy
concerns and even a safe façade cleaning automated mechanism.
Automation can monitor the heat extraction from double-skin façade consisting of a single
exterior layer of heat-strengthened or laminated safety glass, with exterior air inlets and outlet
openings controlled with automatic throttling flaps. A second layer, the interior façade, consists of
fixed or operable, double- or single-pane, casement or hopper windows. The concept is similar
to exterior shading systems – solar radiation loads are blocked before entering the building – but
the heat absorbed by the between-pane shading system is released within the intermediate
space and drawn off through the exterior skin by automated mechanical ventilated means.
There are façades, which can mechanically move to control daylight, climate, aesthetics, lighting,
etc., using built-in sensors, says Kumaran. But they are still in experimental stages. They need
to be mainstreamed, across geographies and markets. The dynamic range of outdoor luminance
and irradiance is orders of magnitude greater than the desired indoor range, says Ar. Gupta.
Heydar Aliyev Center, Azerbaijan: Glass fibre reinforced concrete (GFRC) and glass fibre
reinforced polyester (GFRP) were chosen as ideal cladding materials, as they allow for the
powerful plasticity of the building’s design while responding to very different functional
demands.
Ar. Patel states that structures can now be their own intelligent architectural statements, with
possibilities to keep up and auto-upgrade with time! From accumulating data on the exterior
environmental factors surrounding the building to programming it to create interior environments

12. to suit the occupant’s needs – smart technology in building material has already made its break-
in. Through such technologies, the interior environments can be adapted to impact and create
ambient temperatures, manage humidity, colour, density and conditions of use through the entire
span of the day. What remains to be seen is how concepts like Google Home extend to breathe
into an entire building infrastructure with an ultimate sense of individualised performance
adaptations.
Interactive Façades: Advantages & Disadvantages
With the smart façade technology and various software, the interactive simulations can give both
performance and flexibility in design expression, says Ar. Bhole. The high performance façades
and glass can eliminate many climatic restrictions like need of sun shading devices, darker
shades of glass to reduce heat gain, increase visual light transmission and fire safety needs, he
explains. The further evolution should make the façades think, behave and perform. The
advantages are many like improvement of visual experience from outside as well as from inside
and sustainability.
But according to Ar. Zainuddin interactive façades are a bit too gimmicky for the Indian market
and are more relevant within internal spaces. The skyline needs to be more conducive for a
range of interactive façades, these are relevant for cities of developed countries, he opines.
Interactive façade connect and communicate with the users based on preferences and
environmental conditions, says Ar. Kumaran.
The current philosophy is to design the building envelope with responsive, interactive systems,
also often called “intelligent envelopes”, says Ar. Gupta. According to Ar. Gupta, building
envelope systems should react sensibly to the changes in the exterior climate and adjust in solar
gain, day lighting, heat loss, ventilation, and venting to the changing needs of the occupants and
the building. The interactive façade concept is thus an effective starting point both to actively
manage the changing `incident` climatic conditions and the occupants interior needs based on
both changing tasks and variable preferences. This starts with better utilisation of energy flows
associated with day lighting and useful solar gain. It can also include wind and buoyancy driven
natural ventilation, and building integrated photovoltaic systems, (BIPV). Inevitably, these new
functions potentially add complexity and cost to the envelope, both in hardware and in “process”.
These systems will be widely used if their overall lifecycle benefits, measurable and perceived,
exceed their costs and potential liabilities.
Latest Trends & Technologies in Façade Lighting
In the current times, says Ar. Bhole, architectural designs require lighting solutions that have
good lighting performance as well as good quality that can minimise the cost and time needed for
maintenance. Today, designers are not only making the structure innovative but are also using
materials that are sustainable. Some of the latest variants are Dynamic LED lighting wherein
programmable LED luminaires are used in a creative manner to enhance façades. Both colour -
changing, as well as colourtemperature- changing (warm white to cool white) products, are
available. Being long lasting, easy to install and maintenance-free, LED luminaires have become
a must-have for every lighting designer. Ar. Patel talks about an array of façade lighting
solutions, including Led Floodlights, Pixel/Point Lights, Interactive Video Sections, Underground
LEDs, LED Linear Lights, LED Wall Washers and more.
Ar. Parekh has no doubt that façade lighting adds glamour and beauty by highlighting the subtle
features of the architecture, without impairing them. Recent advancements in façade lighting
include the development of responsive external shading systems with built in blinds and other
powered solutions. The challenge for designers will be to be able to use these advancements
without electricity. “Research on photochromic and thermochromic glass that naturally adapt to
the environment has been ongoing, but I understand, it may not still be commercially viable”,
says Ar. Parekh. According to Kumaran, colour accents, dynamic lighting and programmed
lighting are becoming more popular now. Ar. Patel says that architectural lighting solutions need

13. to be planned to bring out the best in the building’s architectural details, making it stand out,
expressive and communicative.
Architectural lighting solutions need to be planned to bring out the best in the building’s
architectural details, making it stand out, express and communicate. In terms of what’s been
around within the domain is an array of façade lighting solutions that include Led Floodlights,
Pixel/ Point Lights, Interactive Video Sections, Underground LEDs, LED Linear Lights, LED Wall
Washers and more.
Ar. Gupta adds that intelligent lighting is also becoming increasingly necessary for providing
aesthetically elegant façades, nocturnal landscapes as well as to be sensitive towards the
creatures that are active at night, such as insects and migrating birds and save resources.
Façade lighting, besides being used as a marketing factor via media screens, is also seeing a
rise in monumental façade lighting with the use of textile-based building materials.
Revolutionising Future Material& Technology
Most of the current materials used for façades have certain wastage due to the difference in
standard sizes of manufacturing and in the actual usages of the same. This wastage can range
from 15 to 50 per cent sometimes, observes Ar. Bhole. Various resin based products will
dominate the cladding technologies. Resin with clay, resin with stone particles, and the options
are infinite. “If I have to say just one material, then glass reinforced resin panels customised and
manufactured to the final level of execution should be the next gen material and self-cleaning
façades is the need of the future”, says Ar. Bhole.
Ar. Zainuddin and Ar. Krupa Zubin clearly sees the need for better efficiencies in glass with
larger sizes and less tinted variety of glass to truly experience the natural quality of the light
around. They also look forward to self maintaining façade systems.
Ar. Parekh is also eager to find self-cleaning claddings and finishes that can help improve
notoriously challenging upkeep, protecting from dirt and smog. Self-cleaning technology is not
only useful for the upkeep of large structures but can also be used for smaller buildings. This
Nano Technology is now used on claddings that are coated with a mixture of nano particles that
allow the material to repel water, oil, and dirt. Besides, the obvious advantage of recurring costs
and water savings, the general dilapidated appearance of our urban spaces will be a great
benefit for such emerging technologies.
Ar. Wadia wishes to see façades made out of waste material such as plastics, bottles and
others; but fire resistant and endurable considering the life span of façade, i.e., about 25- 30
years. “It should be discounted by the Government and should be heavily promoted so that we
can utilize a waste in a good way in the construction industry,” he adds.
Ar. Kumaran wants to explore and experiment with Electronic Glasses and Photo-Voltaic
Glasses on façade systems in India to achieve Net-Zero performance.
Ar. Patel wishes for material upgrades like pollution absorbing bricks, self-healing concrete,
translucent wood, sulphur-based concrete, etc., which have found cognisance in the western
world of architecture and construction.
Ar. Gupta says, “I have been recently introduced to façade made from pollutants. These black
façade panels are Made of Air – part of Berlin-based manufacturer – are made from biochar”.
Biochar is a waste product produced when trees are burned in pyrolysis kilns for energy; while 50
per cent becomes heat energy, the rest becomes biochar.
We clearly have issues with buildings we live in and how cities work. So we can work out with a
competent method that could radically improve the environment.